Turbine governor



. 1,522,005 W.'B. FLANDERS 4 TURBINE GOVERNOR Filed Sept, 4, 1920 Es wy/Eg 2 .1 M v z a V z F 2 I Patented Jan, 6, 1925,

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WARREN" B; FLANDERS, F ESSINGI'ON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR '10 WESTING-HOUSEELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY,

'VA'NIA;

A conroaarron or PENNSYL- TUBBIIIE GOVERNOR/I ApplicationjfiledSeptember 4, 1920. $eria1'No. 408,183.

object the provision of. a governor in the formuof a centrifugal pumphaving speed responsive valve means to render the pump operative, saidpump being'adapted to inl crease the resistance to rotation of the tur-,bine spindle and; thereby prevent overspeeding of the latter.

I attain this-object by means of the mech anism illustrated in theaccompanying drawing in which.

Figure 1 is an end elevation of a portion of. the turbine rotor" withthe governing mechanism attached; Figure 2, a sectional view: throughthe rotor and governing mechanism Figure 3,an end elevation'of amodificationflof. my invention; Figure 4, a side elevationofthemodifioation of my invention/ shown partlyin section; and Figure 5, asectional view through one of the valves of the modification. 1

Referring to thedrawing for a more detailed description of my invention,I indicate in: Figures; 1 and 2 a single stage'impulse wheel mounted ona turbine shaft .11. Mounted adjacent to'and coaxially with .theiimpulsewheel 10'is a hubor drum member-.12provided with a diametral recess 13with its: axis substantially normal to the axis of the turbine. shaftThe ends or outletsoftherecess 13 are beveled at 14 and 15toprovidevalveseats forthe valve covers 1-6 and '17. A helical spring 18within the recess 13 is provided with straight tips 19 and '20whichprojectthrough axial holes in the covers and, are threaded toreceive nuts 21 and 2 2 which serve to retain the valve covers inncontact with the valve seatsv 14 and 15. By turning thew-nuts 21; and-22the tension of the springs 18rmay be readily adjusted; An axialapa ssage23rin the drum serves as means the drum and the recess of communicationbetween the'exterior "of within.

In the modification of my invention as shown in Figures 3 and-4,-asingle stage impulse Wheel 30 is mountedon a turbine shaft in a similarway to that shown in Figure 2 and is provided witha hollow drum 32 openat the end. .A series of ports or fluid transferringpassagesI-33 arespaced around the periphery of the drum andserve as ineans ofcommunication between the exterior and interior thereof. The end of thedrum is closed by an end piece or cover 34: provided with a series oflugs or' tongues 35 which extend normally to the end piece and which fitsnugly over the outside of the drum.

These tongues serve to hold in place a series of leaf springs 36 whichact as valve covers for the ports 33 spaced around the'periphery of thedrum. 'An axial passage'37" in them end piece or cover serves as meansof'coinmunication between the exterior of the drum and the interiorthereof. In Fig. 5 is shown'a detail of the spring valve, the sectionshown being taken through one of the ports 33 spaced around theperiphery of the drum To close the port 33 and thereby shut offcommunication between the exterior and interior thereof, a leaf spring36 is provided which acts as a valve cover for the port 33; The leafspring 36 is held in place by means of the tongue 35 which is anintegral part of the end piece or cover 34 and projects normallytherefrom. The drum should be provided with a small recess and thetongue with a like projection in order to hold the spring firmly inplace as shown. V

It is a well known fact that when part of the load on a turbine isremoved, thespeed of the turbine will increase if some govern: ing meansis not provided, and serious damage to the turbine may be the result'o'fthe overspeeding. The governing mechanism as herein described actsas a centrifugal'pu'mp '95, which imposes a temporary load ontheftfurbine when a predetermined overspeed is reached- I The operationof my improved device is as follOWS1 when. the turbiae swarmingnormalspeeds the force exerted by the spring 18 will be sutficient tooverbalance the centrifugal force acting on the valve covers 16 and 17,and the valve covers will therefore be firmly held against the valveseats 1 1 and 15 at the ends of the recess within the drum. When apredetermined o-verspeed is reached, the centrifugal force acting on thevalve covers 16 and 17 will overbalance the force of the spring 18 andthe covers will be lifted from the valve seats. As the impulse wheel ofthe turbine is running in the exhaust chamber of the turbine, exhauststeam will enter the drum through the passage 23 and will be forced outat the ends of the passage due to the centrifugal force acting thereon.The drum therefore acts as a centrifugal pump taking in steam at itsaxis and exhausting it at its periphery. This pumping action will imposea load on the turbine to make up for the loss in exterior load and willprevent the turbine from overspeeding. When the exterior load is againimposed on the turbine, the speed will be reduced until the force of thespring again overbalances the centrifugal force on the valve coverscausing them to close. The temporary load due to the centrifugal pumpingaction will then be removed, and the turbine will again operate undernormal conditions. r

In the modification of my invention when the turbine reaches apredetermined over- 'speed','the centrifugal force acting on the leafsprings 36 will cause them to uncover the ports 33 arranged around theperiphery of the drum 32. Steam will then enter the drum from theexhaust chamber through the passage 37 and will be discharged outwardlythrough the ports 33 around the periphery of the drum. As in theprevious case the drum acts as a centrifugal pump taking in steam at theaxis and forcing it out at the periphery, thereby imposing a load on theturbine. hen the exterior load returns to the turbine, the speed of theturbine will be reduced until the leaf springs again cover the ports 33.The temporary load will thereby be removed, and the turbme will againoperate under normal conditions.

l/Vhile I have shown my invention in but two forms, it will be obviousto those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but issusceptible of various other changes and modifications, withoutdeparting from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that onlysuch limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the priorart or as claims.

What I claim is 1. In combination with a rotating element of a fluidturbine, governing means therefor comprising a centrifugal, fluid arespecifically set forth in the appended transferring means and speedresponsive means to control the operation of the fluid transferringmeans, said governing means and speed-responsive means being carried bythe rotating element.

2. In combination with a rotating element of a fluid turbine, governingmeans therefor comprising a centrifugal fluid transferring means andspring retained speed responsive means to control the operation of thefluid transferring means, said governing means and speed-responsivemeans being carried by the rotating element.

3. In combination with a rotating element of a fluid turbine, governingmeans therefor comprising a drum element adjacent to and coaxial withthe rotatingelement having fluid transferring ports in the periphery andmeans responsive to the speed of rotation of the rotating element foruncovering the ports, said means responsive to the speed of rotation ofthe rotating element being carried by the rotating element.

4:. In combinationwith a rotating element of a fluid turbine, governingmeans therefor comprising a drum element adjacent to and coaxial withthe rotating element hav ing fluid discharging ports in the peripherythereof, and spring retained ,means responsive to the speed of rotationof the rotating element for uncovering the ports, said governing meansand means responsive to the speed of rotation of the rotating elementbeing carried by the rotating element.

5. In combination with a rotating element 'of a steam turbine, governingmeans therefor comprising a drum member adjacent to and coaxial with'theimpulse element having a diametral recess and an axial passagecommunicating between said recess and the exterior of the drum, coversadapted to close the ends of the recess, and spring means within therecess for retaining the covers, said covers adapted to uncover the endsof the recess due to centrifugal force acting thereon when apredetermined overspeed is reached.

6. In combination with a rotating wheel of a steam turbine, governingmeans therefor comprising a drum member mounted coaxially with andadjacent thereto and having a diametral recess the axis of which issubstantially normal to the axis of rotation and an axial passagecommunicating between the exterior of the drum and the interior thereof,covers adaptedto close the ends of the recess, and spring means formaintaining the covers closed, said covers being responsive to the speedof rotation of the turbine spindle to uncover ends of said recess.

7. The combination with a rotating element mounted within a body offluid, of speed-responsive means carried by said rotating element, saidspeed-governing means 1 comprising a drum member With spring-retainedvalves and passages for setting up a centrifugal pumping action above apredetermined speed of the rotating element.

8. The combination With a rotating element of a fluid turbine, ofspeed-governing mechanism carried by said rotating element and mountedWithin the exhaust chamber of said turbine, said governing mechanismcomprising a drum member having fluid discharging ports in the peripherythereof and spring-retained means responsive to the speed of rotation ofthe rotating element for uncovering the ports.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 25th dayof August, 1920.

WARREN B. FLANDERS.

